A Shift in Seeing: A Renaissance P eriod - Crones Counsel...— Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. Entering the terrain of wisdom occurs at any age. We sometimes step, sometimes stumble,

CRONETIMES July 2011, Vol. 10 No. 2

WWW.CRONESCOUNSEL.ORG JULY 2011, VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2

THE CRONE’S WISDOM

A Shift in Seeing: A Renaissance Periodneurs, explorers, artists.

What can we do with the Infinity that we look upon? It is theblank canvas an artist works with. It’s the horizon the explorermoves toward, the dream an entrepreneur holds in her/hisheart, and the thought a creator knows because it was thought.It’s time for a Renaissance: A period where all who are on theedge, whatever moved us there, will choose to turn and take inthe view. A time to oversee the expanse, Infinity, and, thankGod, Light, Source. We have been given a clean slate withwhich to create.

All I can say is, “Welcome neighbor, to what may seem tohave been the most expensive property in the world. Welcometo the beach-front property, on the edge of freedom. Now thatyou’re here, what are we going to build?”

By Wendy A. Mendenhall

‘‘I’ve lived on the

edge for so long,

it’s now become the

beach-front property.”

While driving along thePacific Coast Highway, I wasstruck by the wonderfulhomes that sit on the pointsoverseeing “the views.” Mythoughts were, “Were theylucky enough to inherit theproperty or did they ‘see,’before most, that this was aplace to build. Did they‘see’ a view most missed or were afraid to claim? Was therealways a view to take in and was it just waiting to be seen?”

There is always something that moves us to the edge beforewe see its beauty and the vantage point it allows: the economy,divorce, death of a loved one, loss of job, retirement, lack ofresources … Many won’t look out over the edge, because theycan’t see anything except endlessness, Infinity. Many are movedto the edge today and are not comfortable living there. Feelingmoved to the edge by circumstances of the times and whatseems beyond their control, they are looking for ways to moveback to the inlands where things seemed more comfortableand secure.

There are those who are thought to be crazy to build at theedge of the cliff. They take the chance anyway and enjoy theview, while the majority only imagine or dream about how itwould be to live there. Those who have the courage to recog-nize the view the edge presents are called dreamers, entrepre-

THE POWER OF THE CRONE, continued on Page 2

BOOK REVIEW

The Power of the CroneMyths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype

By Clarissa Pinkola Estés, from Sounds True

“Dear brave souls, I warmly invite you to come be atthe fireside with me and the Dangerous Old Woman andthe Power of the Crone. Who is the crone? She is themost dangerous, the most radical, the most revolutionarywoman in existence. Whether in fairy tales or in consensualreality, the old one goes where she wants to and she acts asshe wishes; she lives as she chooses. And this is all as itshould be. And no one can stop her. Nor ought they try.”

— Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.

Entering the terrain of wisdom occurs at any age. Wesometimes step, sometimes stumble, and other times we

CRONETIMES July 2011, Vol. 10, No. 2

are pulled into the territoryof the Crone when the needfor a deeper, largerunderstanding of our mostmeaningful path can nolonger be denied–when thegifts hidden in ourchallenges must be broughtforth. In The Power of the

Crone, we join Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés for six sessions oforiginal stories, poems, blessings, and healing insights forthe creative soul. The ways of the crone have been setdown in stories, stories that our hearts and souls long to hearin order that we might fully flower in our own way.

Says Dr. Estés: “If you weep, the crone will move closerto you. Laugh, and she wants to hear the joke. Dance, andshe wants to dance with you and in you … More so, she hashelp for the hurt heart and for the one poisoned bybitterness, and she can pull the thorn from the breast; shecan tattoo your scars with flowering boughs. This is thecrone.” Join us at the fireside at this pivotal time in historywhen we are each invited “to fulfill the callings of the soulson this earth with verve, with style, with critical insights,with wisdom, and with love.”

Session One: La Grandote (The Giantess):Called to a Wise and Wild Dance Like No OtherA Q&A session follows Dr. Estés’ teachings,

Session Two: La Calavera’s el Rondo:Crone Speaks about the Night Between Two Days

Session Three: Las Cacareas (The Old Cacklers):The Ribald Humor of Old Women

Session Four: La Arbolaria (The Spellbreaker):Living the Inner Life on the Outer Edges

Session Five: La Sobradiente (Old Snag):The Heart Broken Remains Open

Session Six: La Misteria (The Seer):Pruning the Deadwood, Retrieving the Treasure

Update on Jackie Gentryby Sally Phillips

Background StoryJackie has been a member of Crones Counsel since

1996. She has been the president of the board, and for manyyears directed hilarious singing at Crone Follies.

Jackie was involved in a terrible car accident March 3,2009, as she was returning home after her voice lesson in theafternoon. I doubt that we will ever know what happened inthat left-front impact with a pickup truck, but EMT response,removal from car, and flight to medical treatment was rela-tively quick. Jackie suffered severe, diffuse brain trauma andfractured bones in each her four extremities. She has beenreceiving excellent care.

Summer greetings!I hope you like the picture

of Jackie with her new haircut.I finally gave up on the hair-dresser at Apex, and our won-derful Glenndale neighbor,Sandi, cut Jackie’s hair during avisit home on June 3. In thephoto album I added a veryearly picture of the haircut pro-cess, as well as a snapshot ofthe new walkway and retainingwall that I built (for the out-of-town folks who won’t get achance to see it on July 4!).

Jackie’s visit home on June 3 was a banner day for her, as faras I am concerned. She talked about ten times (or more) thatday! ... stating the names of flowers, reading “See Rock City”on the birdhouse, stating, “Don’t worry about that for now,”and “Yes, I think Jenny would really like that.” She didn’t talkmuch to me the next week, but I found that she had talked tosome of the staff. This week she continued to talk three or fourtimes each day, pleasantly surprising everyone. Jackie told Faye,“I am glad to see you,” and she has told several people themonth and day of her birthday. She read aloud the sign on thewall in rehab, told me that a card was signed by Tom, and toldthe receptionist that, she “has seen deer but did not see themrunning or jumping.” These are just some of the examples, andof course we are all delighted with this progress and hope thatit continues. We continue to work with the Eyemax tracking/speech device (which can be very frustrating), but we may notneed it if her talking frequency continues to increase!

Thanks again for your visits, cards, email notes, and positiveenergy sent our way. All of this stimulation is very good forJackie, and I certainly like to feel connected to all of you asthis journey continues.

For the full story and many photos, go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jackiegentry.

THE POWER OF THE CRONE, continued from Page 1

2

A Call for Workshop LeadersWould you like to share your expertise with us in

Portland? Our theme is “IMAGES,” so perhaps you canimagine your workshop into our gathering.

The number of workshops will be limited, due tothe free time we have allowed for visiting the PortlandSaturday Market. Get your application in soon. WriteAnnie Lehto at [email protected] for an appli-cation, or by snail mail: Annie Lehto, 7220 AndreaLane, Morrison, CO 80465.

CRONETIMES July 2011, Vol. 10 No. 2 3

By Sally Reed and Meera Messmer

Sally Reed: Serv-ing on the CronesCounsel Inc. boardwas definitely a peakexperience for me.The board meetstwice a year, once inthe spring to clearup business, set a

budget, and to observe the venue for thefall gathering. If a crone group volun-teers to put on a gathering the board isable to devote time to board businesssuch as by-laws and policy, but if theboard has to determine where a gather-ing will be held and assign people tovarious tasks to host the gathering, theduties become far more complex. In myterm on the board, two gatherings wereput on by the board: Asilomar, Califor-nia, and Albuquerque. The other three:Boulder, Seattle, and Atlanta were man-aged by local groups of Crones.

My first board meeting took place in

Comments on Five Years on the CCI Board

CRONES COUNSEL, INC.Board of Directors

NANCY LEHTO, President,303/697-6016,[email protected]

JOYCE PERATA, Treasurer,303/449-1728,[email protected]

SANDY ENO, Secretary,925/228-0498, [email protected]

JUDY NEIHART, Registrar,801/466-3923,[email protected]

PATRICIA LAYDEN,206/244-4264,[email protected]

PAT CASNER, 209/586-5575,[email protected]

STACIA IRELAND, 801/967-7562,[email protected]

CAROL FRIEDRICH, 303/373-5135, [email protected]

SUSAN ANN STAUFFER, 435/272-2009, [email protected]

San Diego when the conference ended onSunday morning. The next was the SpringMeeting in Boulder, Colorado, at theboard President’s house. As you know,the information computer age advancedvery quickly, and to understand and keepcurrent it was necessary for the board tomake changes. Shortly after the Bouldergathering, a new board President waselected and the Asilomar site was se-lected by the board for the 2007 venuefor Crones Counsel. Because I live nearSFO, my house was the site for the Springboard meeting. Imagine eight womenmeeting from 9 AM to 8 or 9 PM. Thefurniture was pushed against the wallsand a long table set up for the boardbooks, etc. Meals were supplied fromCostCo. Of course it was tiring work, butit was also a lot of fun! This team ofwomen worked and played well together.When the weekend was over, we wereexhausted but enervated by the excite-ment of being part of, and contributingour part to this annual, beautiful CronesCounsel gathering.

There were frustrating times, espe-cially when everyone was tired andcranky, and exhilarating times when aproblem was discussed and a solutionfound, or when extremely creative ideaswere explored and developed and every-thing would come together as if bymagic. I really learned to appreciate allthe women who shared this experiencewith me. I highly recommend a term onthe Crones Counsel board to broadenyour Crone experience, share your tal-ents, and discover there are many ways togrow old, have fun, and contribute tochanging the world.

* * *Meera Messmer: Sally has done

such an incredible job of describing ourexperience of being on the board ofCrones Counsel that I will just add afew items that I remember vividly.

We both came on the board in SanDiego in 2005. I remember the firstboard meeting we attended. There was alot of chaos and fighting. I didn’t knowwhat the heck I was doing there.

Things did get better, as we preparedfor the Boulder gathering at the Springboard meeting. It was a lot of work, aswas typical of most meetings; however,the Boulder gathering was fantastic –well organized and planned by the Boul-der Crones.

This was a difficulttime for me as my onlyson died that May dueto an unfortunate acci-dent while he was onduty with the Air ForceReserves. It was won-derful to express mygrief to my “sisters” at the gathering,who were so present for me.

Overall my five years on the boardwere wonderful, gratifying, and some-times frustrating when we were all tired.Like Sally, I learned to appreciate thewomen who work so hard, and wouldrecommend a term on the board toanyone interested in serving CronesCounsel.


THANK YOU FOR YOUR LIFE!

VITALAUMÉ

1938–2011

By Betty Brown

It saddens me greatlythat Crones Counseland many dear friendsare forced to acknowl-edge the passing of VitaLaumé. Vita was one ofthose special ladies I got

to know at the gatherings, and I was so fortunate to travel toLithuania with her four summers ago. When I first met her, Ibegged her to take me to Lithuania and told her I would carryher luggage. Being the gracious person she was, she let me ac-company her on this annual trip to her home country to visither grandmother’s farm (reclaimed after Russia left the coun-try) and buy beautiful amber to support many local families,which she then offered to us at Crones Counsel. Each year Iso looked forward to her smiling face and endearing personal-ity. After the Seattle Crones Counsel she also welcomed meand Lane Franz into her home for a few days and, as you canimagine, she and her husband were perfect hosts. I’ll never for-get the beautiful hand-carved box that she said would containher ashes when she died. Any of us who wear the beautifulLithuania amber will remember this wonderful lady who wasfilled with love and light and conveyed it to all she knew.

You will be missed dear Vita.

* * *

Remembering Our Amber GoddessBy Alexa Aho West

Vita Laumé, marvelous crone, superb friend, poet, story-teller, seller of amber, died in April 2011. Cancer spread fromher lungs to her brain and then her bones.

In the words of her husband Dale Witherow, “She died withthe spirit she lived by.”

Vita made very conscious choices about dying, as she hadabout living. She knew that she wanted to die at home, at-tended by family and hospice. After death she wanted to bebathed by her daughter, her sister, and Maggie, her friend andhospice nurse. They all accepted her loving directions and, af-ter death, bathed her and wrapped her in a linen cloth with aLithuanian woven belt. Then, the family gathered around herand when they were content with the time they had spent withher, about thirty hours, she was cremated and put in a box thatVita had made especially for that.

Vita was a pilgrim. Her column in Crone magazine wascalled “Pilgrimages” and she opened her heart and life to thepilgrim’s journey wherever it took her.

Many of you remember Vita from her booth in the vendorroom at Crones Counsels. Her strings of amber caught thesunlight in the windows at Asilomar and her amber heart gaveus all sunlight.

As Vita wrote: “Gintaras, the Lithuanian word for amber,means to protect and bless. Each year I make a pilgrimage tomy native land Lithuania. Among small villages, I search forunique and rare amber. I buy directly from peasant women –my way to support their lives. From their treasured threadedbeads, I create one-of-a-kind jewelry, honoring my people andthe gift of amber.”

She did much more than string beads. After fleeingLithuania at age five, it took her 55 years to go back. At theurging of her daughter Sigita, she did go back, reclaim hergrandmother’s farm, and ask herself how she could give backto the country of her birth. Her solution was to buy amber, lotsand lots of amber, from the women in the marketplace.

A health professional, Vita had never had aspirations to bean artisan, a maker of jewelry. But, make it she did and sell itshe did, and those of us who bought it bought more than am-ber. We bought love and hope and became part of the largercrone necklace that stretched from Olympia, Washington, toLithuania.

At an early Crones Counsel, she and a sister crone fromLatvia took us into the world of Baltic grandmothers. We woreVita’s family amber, ate apples cut in the round so a star waspresent in each piece, and explored our own foremothers and

VITA OFFERING HER AMBER at Crones Counsel X, Asilomar

VITA LAUMÉ — THE AMBER LADY, con’t. on Page 5


their stories. Each of us left with a star shining in our ancestralsky, which hadn’t been there before. Her soft voice lulled usand her stories surround us like a mother-shawl.

At Crone storytelling one year, Vita started a tradition ofpassing-the-shawl to a Crone in her 60s who would keep thelove and the blessings contained in the shawl until it was timeto pass it along. Vita knew the value of tangible and intangibleobjects for growth and remembrance.

Vita attended 15 out of 18 Crones Counsels and we cele-brated many life events together: her children’s marriages, hergrandchildren’s births, her second marriage, her mother’sdeath, her writing successes, her poetry book, her amber busi-

ness, her yearly travels to Lithuania. We also celebrated her su-perb storytelling skills, which sometimes involved tears, butoften involved raucous laughter, when after a few glasses ofwine, she told us of her dealings with black-market ambersmugglers or her standing as godmother to a horse!

In the last few months of her life, Vita chose to produce twomore books of poetry with the help of her friend, Linda Strever.The books are Letters and Clasping Other Hands. Both booksare illuminated with the exquisite paintings of her husbandDale Witherow. They can be accessed by going to www.blurb.com>bookstore>poetry>Vita Laume or by the titles. Rich andinsightful, the books celebrate a life well-lived.

Vita’s Celebration of Life will be held on August 6, 2011, inMorris Run, Pennsylvania.

Vita’s family includes her son, Linas, her daughter, Sigita,and grandchildren, Trianno and Lavinnia, her husband DaleWitherow, her sister Ina, and the wide circle of friends sheadopted as family.

Each of us will remember Vita in a different way. I will re-member the gracious, generous, laughing woman who broughtsunshine whenever she appeared. She was like one of her am-ber necklaces: timeless, natural, and glowing. She was a cronewith an amber crown of kindness.

Crone Marketplace 2011Calling all artists. Do you create wonderful

things, write, sing, give massages? Do you loveto hang out with other creative people? Weneed your energy in the Crones Counsel Market-place. Let’s show the Portland Saturday Marketwhat WE have to offer!

Contact Patricia Layden in one of the follow-ing ways: email [email protected], write17341 Military Rd. S., Seattle, WA 98188, orphone 206/244-4264 for an application.

VITA LAUMÉ — THE AMBER LADY, continued on Page 5

CRONES COUNSEL XV – Asilomar. From left, Alexa West,Gay Medina, Vita Laumé, and Joyce Howell.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LIFE

Betty Wigingtonby Sally Reed

Betty passed away in the way she did mosteverything, which is to say, she did it quietly, without a lot offuss. Born on February 12, 1925, Betty graduated from nursingschool in 1946. She was married in 1947 and soon had fivechildren. After her husband passed away in 1966, Betty had abroken heart, five children to care for, and a job to hold onto.Although Betty did not travel the world as a missionary like shehad longed to do as a child, she did travel extensively later inlife. She visited Japan, traveled down the Amazon, rode acamel in Egypt, an elephant in Thailand, and climbed the GreatWall in China. She visited almost every state in the union.

About two weeks before she died, she called her children,her sister, and many others. She said that she wouldn’t be longfor this world, and if we wanted to say good-bye, we’d betterget over there.

Betty loved life and we who met her at Crones Counselhave fond memories of our visits.


CRONES COUNSEL XIX

PORTLAND, OREGONPORTLAND, OREGONPORTLAND, OREGONPORTLAND, OREGONPORTLAND, OREGONOctober 12-16, 2011

6

Portland, 2011By Tricia Layden

A river runs through it, lined with green grass,

And a fountain and walkers – it’s a city with class!

There are parks Oriental, the Rose Garden’s pretty -

This is a charming small-town city.

There’s the Pearl District, downtown, Pioneer Square,

Art Museum, library – oh, this town’s rare!

There’s the biggest bookstore you can imagine:

Powell’s, and no sales tax! I’m not just braggin’!

It’s a college town too: Portland State, and as well

University of – all nearby. I’ll tell you –

Free busses in town, Max, or walk everywhere.

Do the Saturday craft market too if you’d care to.

Hotel by a river lined with green grass –

Am I going to Portland this year? Bet your … bippy!

v Portland abounds inparks; the one by the hotel isthe South Waterfront Park, aribbon of plantings and

sculptures along the WillametteRiver. Within walking distancewest of the hotel are the SouthPark Blocks that run for 12blocks right through downtown.

v Lan Su Chinese Garden NW 3rd and Everett streets;Washington Park, home to the Oregon Zoo, International RoseTest Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, and Portland Japanese Garden.You can get to either place on the Max…v Pearl District: eat, shop, stroll. Pioneer Courthouse

Square is a great place to people-watch and get an idea of whata typical Portlander looks like; also where the Visitor Center islocated. The Art Museum is located on those South ParkBlocks, as is the library. All are a free ride on the streetcarroute or the Max …

v Powell’s is an independent bookstore that fills a whole cityblock with more than a million new, used, and out-of-printbooks, as well as cards and other book-related items. And it is onthe streetcar or Max line, too. Portland State bookstore — nearthe Park Blocks — another great stop….

v You’ve probably got the idea by now: the Portland Streetcarruns every 15 minutes, or you can catch the Max and get just

about anywhere in the city. If you want to go farther, catch theMax light rail to the Zoo or across the river. (One station is nearthe Saturday Market) …

v Which is at the north end of the River Walk “under theBurnside Bridge” (and beyond), involving row upon row ofunique items that are handcrafted by the people who sell them.Also there may be live music, and certainly will be a plethora ofexotic foods. (Still, don’t forget our Crone artisans who will beavailable in the hotel at our Marketplace!)

Are you coming toPortland this year?

CRONETIMES July 2011, Vol. 10 No. 2

CRONES COUNSEL XIXWEDNESDAY–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12–16, 2011, PORTLAND, OREGON

REGISTRATION FORMPlease print clearly

NAME: ___________________________________________________________________________

NAME YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN BY: ________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE NUMBERS: ___________________________________________________________

BIRTH DATE: ___________________ EMAIL: __________________________________________We need your birthday for ceremony. We communicate primarily by e-mail.Please provide. If you have one, please include.

Is this your first time? Yes__ No__ How did you learn of CC?___________________________

Which Crones Counsels have you attended? __________________________________________

List any special needs?____________________________________________________________

Do you like us to help you find a roommate to share a Double Room? Yes___ No___

If you have a roommate preference, please indicate her name ____________________________

CC FEE: 2/15/11–9/1/11 After 9/1/11 Amount$195.00 $215.00 Elder (80 & over) $25 discount $________

In addition to my registration, I wish to support my Crone Sisters with a 201 1 donation to:

Outreach fund $ _______ CC Scholarship $ _______ Crones Counsel $ _______ $________

TOTAL: $ ________Please make check payable to CRONES COUNSEL, INC. and mail to:

Crones Counsel Registrar , c/o Judy Neihart,P.O. Box 9446, Salt Lake City , UT 84109, Phone: 801/466-3923To pay by credit card, please register online at www.cronescounsel.org

SCHOLARSHIPS:Scholarships are available on a limited basis. For information on scholarships and anyregistration questions, please contact Judy Neihart at the address or phone numberabove.

REFUNDS:Cancellations up to July 31, 201 1, will be given a tot al refund minus a $25.00 processingfee. Cancellations between August 1 and October 1 will be given a tot al refund less a$50.00 processing fee. No refunds for registration can be given after October 1, 201 1.

7

On Page 8, please sign

Liability W aiver and Assumption of Risk Agreement

#


#

LIABILITY WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK AGREEMENT

WAIVER – Anyone attending a Crones Counsel gathering must sign a waiver of liability , justas you would when attending an Elder Hostel or other such event.

PLEASE SIGN AND DATE THE FOLLOWING:I have read the activity description and voluntarily enroll in the Crones Counsel gathering.I understand and realize activities involved in the program involve risks, which may resultin injury to me. I knowingly and voluntarily assume all such risk, which I may sustain inconnection with the above program, including but not limited to injury sustained whiletraveling on highways and over rough terrain, forces of nature, falling, slipping, and anyaccident or illness, which may occur while I am enrolled in the program.

Furthermore, in consideration of the permission granted to me to participate in the aboveprogram, on behalf of myself, my heirs, and legal representatives, I release and dischargeCrones Counsel, Inc., and its officers from liability for any injuries, property loss, or damageI may sust ain while p articip ating in the above activity . I fully realize and accept theresponsibility to myself and my companions to carry out all program activities according toCrones Counsel procedures and in a safe and prudent manner . This release does not applyto acts of gross negligence or wanton and reckless conduct.

I also agree I shall be responsible for any expenses incurred or damages suffered, as aconsequence of my personal injury or property loss or damage; that I shall carry adequateaccident and health insurance for this purpose; and that I shall not hold Crones Counsel,Inc., responsible for such expenses.

_____________________________________________ ________________________________Signature Date

CRONES COUNSEL XIXWEDNESDAY–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12-16, 2011, PORTLAND, OREGON

ALL WORKSHOPS, PROGRAMS, CEREMONIES, AND CRONE CIRCLE LEADERSHIP AREDONATED TO THE GATHERING BY WOMEN WILLING T O SHARE THEIR WISDOM ANDCREATIVITY. OUR GATHERING RELIES ON YOU WONDERFUL WOMEN.

WORKSHOPS: Contact: Annie Lehto , 7220 Andrea Lane, Morrison, CO 80465,[email protected], 303/697-6016

MARKETPLACE: Contact: Patricia Layden , 17341 Military Road South, Seattle, WA98188, [email protected], 206/244-4264

CIRCLE LEADERS: Contact: Pat Casner , P.O. Box 1227, Mi Wuk Village, CA 95346,[email protected], 916/685-7507

PLEASE NOTE: All contributors must be registered for the gathering. Artisans’ productsoffered for sale must be Crone creations.


(also known as Betty Brown)

Betty’s adventure of a lifetime beganon January 10. She flew on Korean Air toLos Angeles, then a twelve-and-a-half-hour flight to Seoul, Korea, followed by anine-hour flight to Sydney, Australia – 24

hours of flight time. If I related all her adventures, they wouldtake up the whole issue of CroneTimes and then some, so Ihave, with great difficulty, extracted some of her narrative soyou can get the flavor of this wonderful trip.

Betty spent three months in Australia. She explored Sydney,Blue Mountain, and Kootomba, and took a shaky train elevenhours to Melbourne. Later she rented a car and toured both theeastern and western coasts of lovely Tasmania. After a 24-hourtrain ride, she arrived at Alice Springs in the heart of theOutback where she worked with a family at a cattle station.

0n my USA birth-day, I traveled to AyresRock. It was a fun dayand certainly an un-usual memory. AyresRock (Uluru) is quitean impressive structurewith lots of aborigi-nal stories associatedwith it, including awarning about poison-ous spiders.

Some personal points. I wasin Australia three months andnever read or looked at a tourguidebook. I went places anddid things based on recom-mendations of those I metalong the way. I did threehelp-exchange assignments,stayed with fifteen families,and stayed in sixteen youthhostels. I did not stay in ahotel/motel while here.I spent two weeks each in the Cairns area, Tasmania area, AliceSprings, and Sydney areas and the rest in smaller towns, cities,places, and areas, and traveled by air, car, bus, train, ferry, andboat. Even with a lost train pass and some expensive car damage,I stayed within $300 of my Australian budget.

Next came three weeks in Thailand and Cambodia. Son Jordanjoined me in Bangkok and we spent a few days looking aroundthe Royal Palace area and having a few body and foot massagesbefore traveling north by bus to Chiang Mai. This proved to bewonderful timing, as Thailand was in the midst of celebra-tingits official New Year, called Songkran. This used to be a gentle

Buddhistcelebrationwith a cer-emony ofsprinklingsmallamounts ofwater overothers towash awaybad luck andhelp bring

rains for the coming growing season. These days it is an all-outwater war using buckets, bowls, super pressure water guns, andhoses. People cruised around in open trucks and things calledtuk-tuks (motorbikes with a little carriage for hauling people)with large barrels of water that they used to refill buckets, etc.,and, as I said, it is an all-out battle lasting three days and longerin smaller villages. Jordan and I decided it was going to be im-possible to stay dry, so we joined some of the hotel staff drink-ing, dancing, and splashing each other and passersby outside ourhotel. One barrel even had large ice chunks in it for a bracingdouse. With current high temperatures it wasn’t too bad.

In Kathmandu I spent a few days touring stupas, temples, andmonasteries as the Tibet group start trickling in. We flew intoLhasa, Tibet. I knew the group of six plus guide from my tripthere last year. It was very interesting and challenging as welanded at 12,000 feet and ascended to 17,000 feet without get-ting altitude sickness. I was pleased with my walking sticks andmy ability to maneuver the trails this year.

Now I am in Nepal. I wantedto let everyone know where I amand plan to be until August. Myschool is a Tibetan RefugeeBuddhist school calledSrongtsen Bhrikuti. It has about100 kindergarten day studentsand about 600 first throughtenth-grade students whomostly board here. I have asimple but clean room in thestaff quarters. I was assignedfour English classes for fourth,fifth, sixth, and seventh gradersand will work with the grammar teachers to conduct. So far I’vetaught one class a couple of songs and helped all with pronuncia-tion. I am amazed that they are learning English, Nepali, andTibetan all at the same time with math and social studies. Any-how, it is a bit daunting to have 700 kids say good morning orafternoon or evening every time I step out of my room, but Icertainly enjoy their lovely singing-prayer-type voices morningand night.

Around the World with Granny Bee

AYERS ROCK (Ululu)

BANGKOK, THAILAND

KATHMANDU


By Kianna Bader

My first Crones Counsel board meeting was in the springof 2005 when Jackie Gentry was still president. Anya Silvermanand Mahtowín were going off the board in the fall, and onlyfour women were left – not enough to fill all the offices. Be-cause I was the lone new member, they asked me if I would besecretary, replacing Anya. I was an unknown on the board, butit worked out well. I had experience being secretary of otherorganizations and liked to do it, so, at my first Fall boardmeeting, I began to take minutes. I had never done email min-utes, much less all year long, so that was definitely a newlearning curve. It was time-consuming, but I loved it. The gath-ering was at San Diego that year and Boulder the followingyear. Both gatherings were put on by local Crone groups.

Sharon Hoery was the next president, and we had Springboard meetings at her lovely home in Colorado for two years.At Asilomar, Nancy (annie) Lehto took over as president, so Iworked with three board presidents.

The board had the task of facilitating the gathering atAsilomar, California, and I organized the workshops. This be-came difficult when I wasn’t allowed to put any signs up tomark the rooms – nothing on the historic buildings – notacks, no tape, etc. Finally we put signs on chairs in front ofthe doors to mark some of the workshops.

Many interesting things happened while I was on the board.For instance, we tried having memberships for two years butdropped that idea. Sue Chase designed our lovely official

Crones Counsel logo, and Jackie Gentry looked into getting atrademark for that, as well as pursuing grants for CC. We fi-nally got a newly functioning website thanks to Suzanne Gruba.

My time on the board was both challenging and exciting.Eventually we formed a close-knit little community and I eager-ly looked forward to the Spring and Fall board meetings.

When the board put on the 2007 Asilomar gathering, I had aroot canal two days before, missed the Fall board meeting, andwas heavily medicated during that gathering. However, it wasvery special because one of my daughters and one of my bestfriends from college both attended. It made me aware of howwonderful it is for mothers and daughters, as well as sisters, toattend together.

After the fabulous Seattle and Atlanta gatherings, again theboard put on the 2010 Albuquerque gathering. I was extremelyinvolved and worked closely with Enid Williams and MarshaScarbrough, the only “locals,” to coordinate the opening andclosing. I also organized the workshops and was responsiblefor the music. Once again, a group sang Jackie’s songs as wehad at Atlanta.

I have really enjoyed being on the board. It has been a veryspecial part of my life for six years. I could have remained assecretary for one more year but decided it was time to makeway for new members. We were fortunate in getting so manynew women to carry on. I will continue to support and pro-mote CC, attend the gatherings, and be the reporter who gath-ers stories from many interesting women for CroneTimes. Ilook forward to the Counsels in Portland and Salt Lake City.

My Years on the Crones Counsel Board

L I N K S ...L I N K S ...L I N K S ...L I N K S ...L I N K S ...by Pat Hanson

Lions Clubs International has more volunteers in moreplaces than any other service club organization

When it comes to meeting challenges, our response issimple: We serve. In 206 countries, hospitals and senior cen-ters, in regions battered by natural disaster, in schools and eye-glass recycling centers, Lions are doing community volunteerwork, helping, leading, planning and supporting. Becausewe’re local, we can serve the unique needs of the communitieswe live in. And because we’re global, we can address chal-lenges that go beyond borders.

Lions Club International Helps with Vision Services as wellas Hearing.

CRITICAL SERVICESIn Lions provide the following critical services to people with

vision loss. Check out http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/sight-services/index.php for these programs:

Through corneal donation, eyeglass recycling, strategic part-nerships and vision screenings for the public, Lions are illumi-nating the world for millions of people who are at risk of vi-

sion loss. To service those that have already lost – or neverhad – the ability to see, Lions services may include:

♦ Supporting guide-dog schools♦ Providing scholarships for blind students♦ Supporting vocational training programs♦ Facilitating self-help groups for the blind/visually impaired♦ Furnishing talking books, Braille books, or large-print

books for public libraries♦ Supporting recreational activities and Lions camps for

the blind/visually impaired♦ Providing devices such as white canes or computers

FUNDING EYE RESEARCHOur sight programs also focus on causes of preventable

blindness. We’re fighting:♦ Cataracts♦ Glaucoma♦ Age-related macular degeneration♦ Diabetic eye disease♦ Corneal blindness♦ River Blindness (onchocerciasis) and TrachomaLearn how you can join the battle and help Lions near you.


Notes on AGEISMBy Esta Feedora, June 16, 2011

“Beautiful young people are accidents

of nature, beautiful old people

are works of art.”

— ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Ageism, the process of systematically stereotyping and dis-criminating against people because of their advancing years,plays a major role in depersonalizing older people. There islittle evidence or truth in the three “standard” stereotypes:elders are physically incapable, mentally incapable, and intel-lectually frail.

The term Ageism was coined in 1968 by Robert Neil Butler,the world-famous gerontologist who used it to describe dis-crimination against seniors, and it was patterned on sexismand racism. Butler defined Ageism as a combination of threeconnected elements: prejudicial attitudes toward older people,old age, and the aging process; discriminatory practices againstolder people; and institutional practices and policies that per-petuate stereotypes about older people.

To quote Barbara G. Walker (The Crone, Woman of Age,Wisdom and Power) “ … Millions of intelligent, perceptive,talented elder women remain trapped in uninteresting livesbecause modern society provides no useful channels for theirambition or energy.”

When I was asked to write an article for CroneTimes, Ithought about what would be an interesting topic and decidedon Ageism. I soon discovered that it is a vast subject with com-paratively little research done – or books written – about it.Because I am a farmer in rural Hawaii with no University li-brary nearby, I first looked for information in the Hawaii StateLibrary catalog, but found there were only fourteen books onAgeism listed in the entire statewide catalog! Only two of themproved pertinent! Searching online I found, to my surprise,little information specifically about Ageism and few organiza-tions that are dealing with discrimination of the aged, exceptfor the Gray Panthers (which recently celebrated their fortiethanniversary of activism), the International Longevity Center(ilcusa.org) and the AARP (whose focus is care for the aged,not the stereotyping of them). There are very few Federal orState laws to protect elders in the USA, and although the situa-tion is a little better in Europe – especially in Belgium – thereis not as yet, anywhere, a ground swell of activity in the area ofage prejudice. And there should be! After all, everyone is af-fected! The practice of Ageism is common in all social andeconomic classes, races, creeds, and political affiliations. Well,unless you die before you are old, you shall age!

So it seems sensible to start looking now at Ageism and ourown ageist attitudes, especially because reputable scientistshave determined that for everyone now in their 30s oryounger, a lifespan of 95 or 100 years will be common.

(Perls et al., 1999). Enlightened self-interest dictates thatyoung people should be made aware of ageist attitudes so theycan avoid being subjected to them in the long future ahead! Tobecome aware of our own internalized ageist attitudes isequally important for all adults, including the middle-aged andelders, because we are the unconscious role-models for chil-dren and the young.

Therefore, hoping to use the approach and tactics learnedwhile helping to develop the feminist movement (an “ism” thathas changed the face of the society we live in) I decided to tryto prepare a longer study on this subject, first completingmuch more research.

Here are some interesting “notes” discovered up until now.(Because those of us Crones who have been around a l-o-n-gtime already realize from experience the dangers of ageist ste-reotyping, my “notes” and remarks are particularly addressedto younger Crones and younger people.)

THE CRONE – Women of Power, Age and Wisdom,by Barbara G. Walker

“We may trace to the era of persecution (the witchcraft ma-nia in Western civilization) our society’s view of old women asugly or obnoxious, and especially the refusal to recognize themental capacities of elder women, to honor their life experi-ence as enlightening.”

“ … the Crone can represent precisely the kind of powerwomen need so desperately today, and do not have: the powerto force men to do what is right, for the benefit of future gen-erations and of the earth itself. Forcing seems to be necessary.Men do not voluntarily relinquish their ego trips, war toys, andmoney games.”

THE VIEW FROM OVER THE HILL, by Baba Copper“The old woman finds herself captive to stereotypes, which

drain her initiative and shatter her self-respect. The mythic pro-totypes of the Wicked Old Witch with unnatural powers; theOld Bad Mother with neurotic power needs; and the Little OldLady of absolute powerlessness, cloud the individuality of everyold woman past sixty.”

ABOUT CRONETIMES

CroneTimes is the official newsletter for Crones Counsel Inc.It is published twice a year, in January or February and July. When youattend a gathering, you will receive the next four issues (or twoyears’ worth). It is also on our website: www.cronescounsel.org.

Publisher: Crones Counsel Inc.

Editor/Designer: Marta Quest

Editor/Reporter: Kianna Bader

Contributors (this issue): Wendy A. Mendenhall, Sally Phillips,Sally Reed, Meera Messmer, Betty Brown, Alexa Aho West, TriciaLayden, Kianna Bader, Pat Hanson, Esta Feedora.

Thank you!

NOTES ON AGEISM, continued on Page 12


CRONES COUNSEL, INC.P.O. Box 261Ekalaka, MT 59324

GYN/ECOLOGY, by Mary Daly“Hagiography, a term employed by

Christians, is defined as the biography ofsaints, saints’ lives; Hagiology is a de-scription of sacred writings or sacredpersons. Both terms are from the Greekhaglios, meaning holy.”

“‘HAG’ is from an old-English wordmeaning harpy: Webster’s definition is‘… an ugly or evil-looking old woman’… but this, considering the source, maybe considered a compliment. For thebeauty of strong, creative women is ‘ugly’by misogynistic standards of ‘beauty.’

“… As for ‘old,’ Ageism is a featureof phallic society … a Crone is one whoshould be an example of strength, cour-age, and wisdom. Our fore-sisters werethe Great Hags whom the institutionallypowerful patriarchs found too threaten-ing for coexistence, and whom the histo-rians erase.”

THE VIEW FROM OVER THE HILL,by Baba Copper

“Youth sees itself as immune from thethreat of ageing. I can remember the daywhen I would use the phrase “over thehill” to describe an old woman. The im-plications of those words, and my com-plicity in those implications nevercrossed my mind. Now, from experience,I understand that someone “over thehill” is metaphorically out of sight …invisible. In my youthful complacency, Iwas banishing old age from my aware-ness by that phrase. … Now that I amold, I have become increasingly aware

why I needed to reassure myself in thisway.”

“Since childhood all of us have beenbombarded with systematic distortions offemale ageing – in fairy tales, legends,movies, TV. Age prejudice encouragessubstitution of these manufactured reali-ties for the real human being – with realpersonal powers – whom we encounter.”

NURTURING RESPECT: GIVINGCHILDREN AN UNDERSTANDING OFTHEIR ELDERS,by Gerald Larue and Rachel Seymour

“Ageism … thrives on stereotypes ex-pressed in language, labels, gestures, hu-mor, practices, policies, and even advo-cacy. It is found in the home, theschools, the media, the marketplace, andin hospitals and nursing homes and gov-ernment services. Its practitioners arechildren, youth (taught by adults), themiddle-aged, and even some eldersthemselves.”

“… The effects of Ageism are toxicfor the individual in particular, for eldersin general, and for society as a wholeinasmuch as Ageism represents a bigotrythat separates elders from society’s pro-tective norms rendering them vulnerable,and sometimes, helpless. Ageism is un-ethical.”

WIKIPEDIAfrom their article on Ageism

“The looking-glass self is a social/psychological concept that states that aperson’s self grows out of society’s inter-personal interactions and the perceptionsof others. The term refers to peopleshaping themselves based on otherpeople’s perception, and leads them to

reinforce other people’s perspectivesupon themselves. People shape them-selves based on what other people per-ceive and confirm other people’s opinionon themselves.”

Studies have also specifically shownthat when older and younger people hearthese stereotypes about their supposedincompetence and uselessness, they per-form worse on measures of competenceand memory. These stereotypes then be-come self-fulfilling prophecies.

Older and younger people may alsoengage in self-stereotypes, taking theirculture’s age stereotypes — to whichthey have been exposed over the lifecourse — and directing them inwardtoward themselves. Then this behaviorreinforces the present stereotypes andtreatment of the elderly. Many overcomethese stereotypes and live the way theywant, but it can be difficult to avoiddeeply ingrained prejudice, especially ifone has been exposed to ageist views inchildhood or adolescence

Slowly we are coming to a placewhere old age can be perceived as “atime of continuing vitality.” About 44percent of Americans over age 65 de-scribe the present as “the best years ofmy life.” And certainly they are the bestyears of my life! My own creativity hasimproved with age; my sensitivity has notbeen dulled by age; my adventurousnesshas not been reined in by some disabili-ties that time has brought; and the returnof “wonder” and the “magical” thinkingthat comes with old age have been forme an affirmation of life just as it is inthe present. So be it!

NOTES ON AGEISM,continued from Page 11

A Shift in Seeing: A Renaissance P eriod - Crones Counsel...— Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D. Entering the terrain of wisdom occurs at any age. We sometimes step, sometimes stumble,

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